Well pipe spinning unit



July 16, 1968 J. BARTOS 3,392,609

WELL PIPE SPINNING UNIT Filed Jupe 24, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ZBWEIFJ JosEF .Bnzros INVENTOR.

4-r-ro2A/EY J. BARTOS July 16, 1968 WELL PIPE SPINNING UNIT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24, 1966 Nb mwwmb ob EL 1 v mu hm Nm 5 0m m mm hm INVENTOR.

JosEF Boleros y 6, 1968 J. BARTOS 3,

WELL PIPE; SPINNING UNIT Filed June 24, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 fossF' .3 02 TO s [N VEN TOR.

,4 r TOEA/EY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 24, 1966 mm mm L mQ m 9 no. mo do. 0% F J P9 n mm 55 MP mm. Q0 n m9 1 5 m Q. mw Q .0. mm 09 F T mg S. Y mm 5 ZN u 4% w r 3m T F p E 5 fl Y B United States Patent 3,392,609 WELL PIPE SPINNING UNIT Josef Bartos, La Puente, Calif., assignor to Abegg and Reinhold C0,, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed June 24, 1966, Ser. No. 560,191 20 Claims. (Cl. 81--57) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A spinner for turning a well pipe and including a support to be located at a side of the pipe, a cantilever arm projecting inwardly toward the pipe from the support, and a pipe engaging and driving assembly mounted to the inner end of the cantilever arm. The arm is mounted to the support for longitudinal movement toward and away from the pipe, to enable retraction of the assembly from about the pipe, and is also mounted to swing horizontally in a further retracting motion. The pipe engaging assembly includes two sets of pipe engaging and driving rollers, one above the other, with two rollers of each set being mounted to a first body structure, and with the other two rollers being mounted to a pair of carrier sections which swing relative to the first body structure about two spaced hinge axes, and with power being transmitted to these latter rollers through gears which turn about the hinge axes.

This invention relates to improved apparatus for turning or spinning a well pipe for the purpose of rapidly connecting or disconnecting the various joints of the pipe as the pipe is being lowered into or removed from a well.

Whenever during the drilling or operation of a well it becomes necessary to remove a string of pipe from the well, as for instance for the purpose of replacing a drill bit, such removal of the pipe necessitates the disconnection of a large number of threaded joints, and the subsequent reconnection of those joints when the pipe is re lowered into the well. To facilitate this process, a major object of the present invention is to provide a spinning unit which is capable of very rapidly turning a portion of a pipe, to thereby rapidly disconnect or reconnect two engaging joints, and to thus minimize the overall time and labor required during a round trip of the pipe. Preferably, the device is so designed as to itself automatically center an engaged section of the pipe in a predetermined position of vertical alignment with a next successive stand, to thus avoid the difficulties normally encountered in stabbing one joint end into another during the connecting process. Further contemplated is an arrangement in which the turning apparatus is movable very easily and rapidly into and out of driving engagement with the pipe, with the entire unit desirably being retractable to an inactive position avoiding interference with the pipe supporting elevator structure.

The driving action is preferably attained by use of roller means which are engageable with the outer surface of the pipe being driven, and which are power rotated to turn the pipe. For best results, the roller means include a number of individual rollers for engaging the pipe at different locations, with different ones of these rollers desirably being power driven so that their combined eltect is to very reliably but frictionally turn the pipe about the vertical axis of the well. The roller means may be free to move vertically a short distance as they turn, in correspondence with the slight vertical movement of the threaded joints as they advance threadedly together.

The pipe turning structure or assembly may be mounted by a support structure, which is preferably located in fixed and stationary position relative to the vertical axis of the pipe and well, and which is capable of holding the roller means at a predetermined position of proper vertical alignment with the well. The turning apparatus may be mounted to the stationary support in a manner such that the turning apparatus may be retracted bodily relative thereto between an active pipe driving position and a retracted inactive position. Preferably, power actuated means are provided for moving the pipe turning structure between its active and retracted positions, and also for actuating the turning structure to grip and release the pipe.

The above and other features and objects of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side View of a well drilling rig having a pipe spinner embodying the invention;

FIG. 1a shows a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 in retracted position;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged side view of a portion of the spinner apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3a is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the apparatus in its pipe gripping condition;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 5--'5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sec-tion taken on line 66 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is .a bottom view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section taken primarily on line '8-8 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 9--9 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 10 is a view taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 2.

Referring first to FIG. 1, I have represented fragmentarily in that figure an oil well drilling rig having a pipe spinner 10 constructed in accordance with the invention. In FIG. 1, the usual derrick is represented at 11, projecting upwardly from and above the rig floor 12. A conventional rotary table is shown at 13, containing a master bushing 14 and removable slips 15 for supporting the weight of the drill pipe 16 from the rotary table. The drill pipe of course projects downwardly through the rotary table and into the well 17, which extends downwardly into the earth to the drilling location at which pipe 16 may carry a drilling bit. The draw works are represented at 18, and may carry :a control unit 19 by which an operator controls the delivery of compressed air from an inlet line 20 to the spinner unit 10.

Pipe 16 is formed of a large number of individual lengths 21 of pipe, each having an upper enlarged internally threaded first tool joint end 22, and a lower similarly enlarged externally threaded second tool joint end 23. The uppermost one of the internally threaded box tool joint ends 22, at the upper end of the top section or length of pipe 21, has been designated 22a in FIG. 1. This top section is suspended by a conventional elevator 24 which encircles the pipe directly beneath box end 2201, and engages that box end in supporting relation. The elevator 24 of course has the usual gate or latch portion 25, which is openable to permit the elevator to be placed about or removed from the pipe. Also, the elevator is supported by the derrick through a bail 26 which is in turn suspended by the hook 27 of the vertically movable travelling block 28.

To describe now the structure of the spinner unit 10 with which the present invention is primarily concerned, it is noted that this spinner includes a vertically extending rigid stationary support column 29, which may be externally cylindrical and centered about a vertical axis 30 offset laterally from and disposed parallel to the main vertical axis 31 about which well pipe 16 is dispos d and turns. Column 29 may be mounted stationarily in any suitable manner, as by providing column 29 with a lower flange or base portion 32, which is rigidly bolted or otherwise secured to the fioor 12 of the rig, or to any other stationary portion of the rig.

For engaging and turning the pipe 16, spinner unit includes a pipe gripping and driving section 33, which is mounted to a carrier structure 34 for limited vertical movement relative thereto, with the carrier structure in turn being mounted to the upper end of support column 29 for retracting movement. More particularly, carrier 34 may include a horizontally extending and elongated pipe-like member 35, which, as best seen in FIG. 10, is externally cylindrical and centered about a horizontal axis 36 (FIG. 2). In the position of the apparatus illustrated in the figures, this horizontal axis 36 extends through and intersects both of the previously mentioned axes 30 and 31, at right angles thereto.

To guide carrier structure 34 for retracting movement, column 29 supports at its upper end a roller assembly 37 which includes two rigidly interconnected vertically extending spaced parallel identical plates 38, which are rigidly secured to and project upwardly from a horizontally extending circular rigid plate 39 centered about vertical axis 30 (FIGS. 2 and 3). Plate or disc 39 is mounted to turn about axis 30 relative to a circular rigid plate 40 which is welded or otherwise secured to the upper end of column 29, with the two plates 39 and 40 being pivotally interconnected by a central bolt 41 extending through registering apertures in the two plates 39 and 40 and having a nut 42, to thus locate plate 39 and its carried upwardly projecting spaced plates 38 for the desired pivotal movement about axis 30. As will be apparent, the two plates 39 and have engaging surfaces 42 which are relatively movable and which lie in a horizontal plane disposed perpendicular to vertical axis 30, to support plate 39 and its carried structures from column 29.

Between the two upwardly projecting spaced plates 38, there are rotatably mounted two upper rollers 43 and two lower rollers 44 mounted to turn about individual spaced horizontal axes 45, to movably support the previously mentioned pipe-like member 35 of the carrier structure 34. As seen best in FIG. 10, these rollers 43 and 44 have concave annular surfaces 46 curved in correspondence with the cylindrical curvature of the outer surface of member 35, to closely embrace member 35 and guide it for only horizontal movement along axis 36. Also, the upper extremities of the two plates 38 may be rigidly connected together in spaced relation, as by connector bolts and nuts 46, having spacer sleeves 47 disposed about these bolts between the plates. Plates 38 are desirably welded or otherwise rigidly secured to plate or disc 39 at their lower extremities. Disc 39 and its carried parts may be releasably locked in the active position illustrated in the figures, by removable insertion of a headed lock pin 48 within registering vertical apertures or passages 49 in the two plates 39 and 40.

Pipe 35 and its carried pipe gripping and driving apparatus or section 33 are actuable along axis 36 by a fluid operated preferably pneumatic piston and cylinder mechanism 50 (FIG. 2), whose cylinder 51 may be pivotally connected at 52 to short projections 53 on plates 38, and whose piston may have its piston rod 53' connected at 54 to a bracket 55 which is rigidly secured to and project downwardly from member 35. As will be apparent, the axis 56 of piston and cylinder mechanism 50 is horizontal and parallel to axis 36. Actuating pressure fluid is supplied to opposite ends of piston and cylinder mechanism 50 through two supply lines 57 and 58 (FIG. 2), under the control of a three way selector valve 59. Also, the piston and cylinder mechanism is so constructed as to reach the limit of its travel, in a direction inwardly toward axis 31 of the well, at a precisely pre- 4 determined position in which the later to be discussed drive rollers of pipe gripping and driving section 33 are exactly centered with respect to axis 31 of the well.

Projecting inwardly from the member 35, carrier structure 34 includes another rigid member 60, which may have a flange portion 61 rigidly secured by bolts 62 to a mating flange 63 connected rigidly to the end of member 35. In extending inwardly from flange 61, member 60 may form two identical spaced arms 64 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which carry a horizontally extending cross piece 65 by which the pipe driving section 33 is movably mounted.

To describe now the pipe gripping and driving section 33 of the apparatus, this section may be considered as having a main housing part 66 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 3a), carrying a motor 67 which may typically be a rotary pneumatically actuated motor. This motor drives four pairs of well pipe engaging rollers 68, 69, and 71, with the two rollers of each of these pairs being aligned vertically and mounted to turn about a common vertical axis. The two pairs of rollers designated 68 and 69 in FIG. 3 are mounted by body 66 to turn about individual vertical parallel axes 72 and 73 which are fixed relative to body 66. The other two pairs of rollers designated 70 and 71 in FIG. 3 are mounted rotatably to two small body elements 74 and 75, Which swing relative to main body 66 between the inactive positions of FIG. 3 and the active positions of FIG. 3a. Rollers 70 and 71 turn relative to body elements 74 and 75 about the two vertical spaced axes designated 76 and 77 in FIG. 3.

Each of the body parts 66, 74 and 75 may be formed of appropriate castings suitably secured together and shaped to form internal chambers or spaces such as that designated 78 in FIG. 4, shaped and dimensioned to receive the various internal gears which will be described below for driving the pipe engaging rollers. More particularly, as will be understood best from FIG. 4, the main body 66 may be considered as forming vertically spaced top and bottom walls 79 and 80 between which the various drive gears for transmitting power to the rollers are received.

Rotary pneumatic motor 67 may have a lower end flange 81 secured by bolts 82 (FIG. 4) to the upper side of body 66, with the power driven output shaft 83 of the motor projecting downwardly through a bushing 84 mounted within an aperture formed in top wall 79 of housing 66. The lower extremity of shaft 83 may be of reduced diameter and be journalled within another bushing 85, with a gear 86 being carried by and driven by shaft 83 vertically between the two bushings and within chamber 78. Gear 86 and shaft 83 turn about the vertical axis designated 87 in FIG. 4. This gear engages and drives a larger gear 87 which is rigidly connected to a vertical shaft 88 journalled within bushings 89 and 90 in walls 79 and 80 of housing 66, to turn about a vertical axis 91. A smaller gear 92 on shaft 88 engages and drives another gear 93 which is mounted by a stub shaft 94- to turn about a vertical axis 95.

Gear 93 drives two separate essentially identical gear trains for turning different ones of the various rollers 68 to 71. FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate one of these gear trains, which drives the rollers 69 and 71 of FIG. 3, and which includes a gear 96 which is connected to and drives rollers 69, an idler gear 97 driven by gear 96, and a final gear 98 driven by gear 97 and turning final roller 71. Gear 96 is rigidly attached to a vertical shaft 99 which is journalled in the upper and lower walls 79 and 80 of body 66 to turn about vertical axis 73. Rollers 69 are connected rigidly to the upper and lower ends of shaft 99 to be positively driven by the shaft about axis 73, and may typically be connected to the shaft by nuts 100 threadedly connected onto the ends of the shaft and tightening the rollers against shoulders 72 on the shaft, and with the rollers desirably being appropriately keyed to the shaft for effective transmission of power to the rollers. Externally, the rollers 69 have vertically aligned outer cylindrical surfaces 101, which are engageable with the outer surface of the well pipe to frictionally drive it.

Gear 97 of FIGS. 4 and 5 is mounted torotate about a vertical axis 102 of a shaft 103 about which gear 97 is mounted, with this shaft 103 projecting upwardly through bushings 104 received within the main body 66, and also projecting into bushings 105 received within apertures in two vertically spaced upper and lower hinge lugs 106 of body element 75, so that the shaft or pin 103, in addition to functioning as the axle for gear 97, also serves as a hinge pin to mount small body element 75 for swinging movement about vertical axis 102 between the positions of FIGS. 3 and 3a.

Gear 98 is rigidly connected to a vertical shaft 107 which is journalled within body element 75 to turn about vertical axis 77, and which rigidly carries the two rollers 71 at its upper and lower ends, so that gear 98 positively drives these rollers. Rollers 71 have outer cylindrical surfaces 108 the same as surfaces 101 of rolllers 69, to engage and drive the well pipe.

With reference to FIG. 6, the second gear train which is driven by gear 93 includes a first gear 109 corresponding to gear 96 and rigidly connected to rollers 68 of FIG. 3, to drive those rollers. Also, this second gear train includes additional rollers corresponding to those shown at 97 and 98 in FIG. 5, for driving the pair of rollers designated 70 in FIG. 3, and with a vertical shaft such as that shown at 103 in FIG. 5 being provided to mount body element 74 for swinging movement between its positions of FIGS. 3 and 30. Thus, all of the rollers 68, 69, 70 and 71 are driven in a common rotary direction about their individual axes, and at a common speed, to frictionally drive the well pipe. Motor 67 may be a reversible type motor, so that the rollers may drive the pipe in either of its two opposite directions.

The two body elements 74 and 75 of FIG. 3, and the carried rollers 70 and 71, are actuable between their positions of FIGS. 3 and 3a by a piston and cylinder mechanism 109 (FIGS. 2 and 7), the cylinder of which may be connected by a pin 110 to a downwardly projecting lug 111 on body element 66. The piston rod 112 which is connected to the piston within cylinder 109 (and is actuable thereby along the horizontal axis 113 of FIG. 7), is pivotally connected by a vertical pin 114 to a cross link 115, whose opposite ends are pivotally connected at 116 to a pair of actuating links 117, which are in turn pivotally connected at 118 to the two outer body elements 74 and 75. Thus, when the piston within mechanism 109 is actuated to the right in FIGS. 2 and 7, and to the position shown in those figures, the linkage 115 and 117 swings body elements 74 and 75 and their carried rollers to the open positions of FIGS. 3 and 7, in which those rollers do not engage the well pipe 16, and are spaced apart a distance at least as great as the external diameter of the well pipe, so that the pipe engaging unit 33 may be moved bodily away from its position about the well pipe. Compressed air or other actuating fluid is supplied to piston and cylinder mechanism 109 through a pair of flexible hoses 119 and 120 (FIG. 1), under the control of a threeway valve 121. Driving air may be supplied to the motor 67 through another pair of lines 122 and 123, for driving the motor in opposite directions respectively, and under the control of a reversing valve 124.

As the well pipe 16 i driven rotatably about its vertical axis, a threaded connection is formed between two of the joint ends of the pipe, and as a result the pipe must move axially as it turns to enable this threaded connection to be completed. For this purpose, the pipe gripping and driving section 33 of the apparatus is mounted for limited vertical movement relative to the carrier section 34 by which it is supported, and more particularly through the support connection illustrated in FIG. 8. This connection includes an essentially rectangular rigid frame member 125, having vertically extending portions 126 which are rigidly connected at 127 to opposite sides of the main body 66 of section 33, and project upwardly therefrom. An upper cross-piece 128 of frame rigidly carries three downwardly projecting vertical typically externally cylindrical parallel pins 129, 130 and 131, which project vertically and slidably through, and are close fits within, three vertical cylindrical passages 132 in horizontal portion 65 of member 60 of the carrier structure 34. Thus, this pin and aperture connection guides frame 125 and the carried body 66 and other connected elements for the desired directly vertical movement relative to carrier structure 34. Downward movement of frame 125 and] the carried parts relative to carrier structure 34 is yieldingly resisted by a pair of coil springs 133 disposed about two of the pins 129 and 131, and bearing upwardly against cross-piece 128 of the frame, and downwardly against the upper surface of portion 65 of the carrier structure. To assist the pins 129, 130 and 131 in guiding frame 125 for its vertical movement, vertical portions 126 of the frame may have a sliding interfitting and guiding engagement with the opposite ends of portions 65 of the carrier structure, as by sliding reception of vertical portions 126 within vertically extending guideways 134 formed in the opposite ends of portion 65. i

To now describe a cycle of operation of the apparatus illustrated in the drawings, assume that. the entire string of well pipe 16 is to be withdrawn upwardly from the well, for replacement of a drill bit or another reason, and is then to be relowered into the well. Also assume that the spinner 10 of the present invention is initially in the retracted position of FIG. 1a, in which it is retracted laterally far enough to enable the elevator 24 to be moved vertically past the pipe gripping and driving section 33. Further, we can assume that the upper extremity of the pipe string 16 is initially lower than the rollers of pipe gripping section 33 of the spinner. With the apparatus in this condition, a first step may be to lower elevator 24 downwardly past the pipe gripping rollers of section 33 of spinner 10, and to a position in which elevator 24 may be connected to the uppermost box end 22 of the drill string, following which the elevator is raised to the FIG. 1 position to lift the upper three sections or stands 21 of the pipe 16 above the rotary table. Slips 15 may then be placed in the rotary table to support the fourth stand of pipe, and three-way valve 59 is actuated to admit air to the right end of piston and cylinder mechanism 50 of FIG. 2, to thus shift carrier structure 34 and its carried pipe driving section 33 leftwardly from the FIG. 1a retraced position to the FIG. 1 active position, with the parts being guided for this movement by rollers 43 and 44. The actuating piston and cylinder mechanism reaches the limit of its range of movement at a precisely predetermined position in which rollers 68 and 69 just engage the outer surface of pipe 16, at a location intermediate its enlarged joint ends. When the rollers have reached this poistion (but with rollers 70 and 71 of course initially in their open position of FIG. 3), the operator actuates three-way valve 121 of FIG. 1 to admit air to the right end of piston and cylinder mechanism 109 of FIG. 2, to thereby swing rollers 70 and 71 into their FIG. 3a positions of tight frictional engagement with the drill pipe. This engagement is sufficiently tight to provide adequate frictional contact with the drill pipe for effectively turning the pipe through rotation of the rollers. After the rollers are in the FIG. 3a position of frictional engagement with the well pipe, motor 67 is actuated by manipulation of valve 124 to drive the rollers in a direction for turning the drill pipe in a left hand or unscrewing rotary direction, and thus threadedly disconnecting the upper three stands of pipe from the rest of the pipe string at the joint just above the rotary table. During this turning movement, the pipe gripping and driving section shifts upwardly in accordance with the pitch of the threads being disconnected, and as permitted by the connection illustrated in FIG. 8, until the entire threaded connection is broken.

The initial release of the threaded joint may of course be effected by an appropriate tong device.

After the upper three lengths of the pipe have been disconnected from the rest of the string, piston and cylinder mechanism 50 is actuated to retract the apparatus to the FIG. 1a position, so that the elevator may lift the disconnected three stands of pipe upwardly and then swing them laterally to an appropriate storage rack, following which the elevator is lowered into engagement with the next successive joint end 22, to lift the next three stands upwardly, and enable the spinner to again be used for disconnecting these three stands from the rest of the string. This procedure is followed until all of the drill string has been removed from the well. When it is desired to relower the string into the well, a first group of three pipe sections may be lowered to a position in which their uppermost joint end 22 is just above the rotary table, and is supported by slips 15, following which the pipe gripping and driving section 33 may be actuated from the FIG. 1a retracted position to the FIG. 1 active position. Elevator 24 may then be actuated to lift the next group of three pipe sections 21 from the storage location, and swing those sections to a position just above and in alignment with the rotary table. During this movement, rollers 68 and 69 act to provide a very precise locating structure against which the pipe 16 may be moved, and acting to locate the pipe in exact vertical alignment with the first group of pipe sections which are supported by slips 15. When the piston and cylinder mechanism 109 is actuated to close rollers 70 and 71 to their FIG. 3a positions, they further assist rollers 68 and 69 in very accurately centering the upper group of three pipe sections over the rest of the drill string, so that the joint end 23 may be moved downwardly into box end 22 without any difficult stabbing procedure. The roller 68, 69, 70 and 71 are then driven by motor 67 in a right hand direction, the reverse of that utilized during withdrawal of the well pipe from the well, to make the threaded connection between the upper three pipe sections and the sections which are supported by slips 15, and with frame 125 of FIG. 8 moving downwardly against the tendency of springs 133 in accordance with the pitch of the threads during completion of the threaded connection. Pipe gripping and driving section 33 may then be retracted to the FIG. 1a position while elevator 24 and its supported string are lowered past the location of section 33, after which the entire procedure may be repeated to attach three more stands to the string, etc., until the entire string is back in the well.

During intervals in which the spinner is not to be utilized at all, the entire spinner structure may be swung laterally about axis 30, typically through about 90 circular degrees, and to a position in which the pipe gripping and driving section 33 is offset very far laterally from the main axis 31 of the well, and therefore will offer no interference whatever with the use and operation of other well equipment. In order to permit such swinging movement of the spinner about vertical axis 30, pin 48 of FIGS. 3 and 9 is removed from apertures 49. When the spinner is in use, however, this pin acts to very positively and effectively hold the apparatus in the position illustrated in the figures, in which the rollers 68 through 71 will act effectively to very precisely locate and center one section of pipe string 16 relative to a next successive section during threaded interconnection of these two sections.

I claim:

1. A spinner for turning a well pipe about a generally vertical axis comprising an assembly to be moved between an active position about the pipe and a retracted position offset to a side of the pipe, said assembly including a series of pipe engaging rollers which in said active position of the assembly are receivable at different locations spaced about said pipe and which are engageable with an outer surface of the pipe at said locations respectively and which turn about different circularly spaced axes, at least one of said rollers being power driven rotatably and operable to thereby drive said pipe rotatably about said first mentioned axis, there being two circularly successive ones of said rollers mounted for relative opening and closing movement between an open position in which there is formed therebetween a throat of a width great enough to pass said pipe into and out of said assembly as the assembly moves between said two positions thereof, and a closed position in which said two circularly successive rollers are near enough to close said throat against, and to block, such movement of the pipe into and out of the assembly and to grip the pipe for rotation between said series of rollers, a first body section rotatably mounting a first of said rollers, a second body section rotatably mounting one of said two circularly successive rollers, means interconnecting said two body sections for relative pivotal movement about a predetermined hinge axis, and a gear for transmitting power from said first roller to one of said two circularly successive rollers and mounted to turn about said hingle axis, there being power actuated means for relatively moving said two circularly successive rollers between said open and closed positions.

2. A spinner for turning a well pipe about a generally vertical axis comprising an assembly to be moved between an active position about the pipe and a retracted position offset to a side of the pipe, said assembly including a series of pipe engaging rollers which in said active position of the assembly are receivable at different locations spaced about said pipe and which are engageable with an outer surface of the pipe at said locations respectively and which turn about different circularly spaced axes, at least one of said rollers being power driven rotatably and first mentioned axis, there being two circularly successive ones of said rollers mounted for relative opening and closing movement between an open position in which there is formed therebetween a throat of a width great enough to pass said pipe into and out of said assembly as the assembly moves between said two positions thereof, and a closed position in which said two circularly successive rollers are near enough to close said throat against, and to block, such movement of the pipe into and out of the assembly and to grip the pipe for rotation between said series of rollers, power actuated means for relatively moving said two circularly successive rollers between said open and closed positions, an upwardly projecting support column to be mounted stationarily at a side of said pipe, a mounting unit mounted to the upper end of said column for swinging movement about a generally vertical axis, an elongated carrier structure projecting from said mounting unit inwardly toward said pipe in one position of said mounting unit, guide rollers carried by said mounting unit and guiding said elongated carrier structure for bodily movement longitudinally of said structure and toward and away for said pipe, a connection mounting said assembly to an inner end of said carrier structure and for limited and resilient vertical movement relative thereto, and second power actuated means for shifting said carrier structure longitudinally to move said assembly between said active and retracted positions thereof.

3. A spinner as recited in claim 2, in which said assembly includes a first body section, two additional body sections, hinge pins connecting said additional body sections to said first section to swing relative thereto about two hinge axes, said pipe engaging rollers including a first set of four such rollers consisting of said two circularly spaced rollers and two additional rollers, said circularly spaced rollers being mounted rotatably at the upper sides of said two additional body sections respectively to swing therewith, said two additional rollers being mounted rotatably at the upper side of said first body section, said pipe engaging rollers including a second set of four rollers received at the underside of said body sections and connected to the rollers of said first set respectively to turn therewith, a motor carried by said first body section, two gear trains within said three body sections for driving all four rollers of both sets in unison to turn the pipe,

said gear trains including gears turning with the pipe engaging rollers and intermediate gears turning about said hinge axes and mounted by said hinge pins, said first mentioned power actuated means including a piston and cylinder mechanism connected to said first body section, and linkage means operable by said piston and cylinder mechanism to swing said additional body sections relative to said first body section and toward and away from one another.

4. A spinner for turning a well pipe about a generally vertical axis, comprising an assembly to be moved between an active position about the pipe and a retracted position offset to a side of the pipe, said assembly including at least four pipe engaging and driving rollers which in said active position of the assembly are receivable at different locations spaced about said pipe, in engagement with an outer surface of the pipe, and which turn about dilferent circularly spaced essentially parallel axes, a body structure, means mounting a first pair of said rollers rotatably to said body structure, power actuated means for driving said rollers of the first pair rotatably, two roller mounting sections carried by said body structure for swinging movement relative thereto about two spaced hinge axes and toward and away from one another, means mounting the third and fourth of said rollers rotatably to said two roller mounting sections respectively for swinging movement therewith between an open position in which there is formed between said third and fourth rollers a throat of a width great enough to pass said pipe into and out of said assembly as the assembly moves between said two positions thereof, and a closed position in which said third and fourth rollers are near enough to one another to close said throat against, and to block, such movement of the pipe into and out of the assembly and to grip the pipe for rotation between the four rollers, and two gears for transmitting rotation from said first pair of rollers to said third and fourth rollers respectively and mounted to turn about said two hinge axes respectively.

5. A spinner as recited in claim 4, including four ad ditional gears connected to said four rollers respectively for rotation therewith about the axes of the rollers and meshing with said two first mentioned gears for transmission of power therethrough.

6. A spinner as recited in claim 4, in which said power actuated means include a motor carried by said body structure and driving said rollers of the first pair.

7. A spinner as recited in claim 4, including powered means for swinging said two sections and the carried rollers relative to said body structure and toward and away from one another.

'8. A spinner as recited :in claim 4, including a piston and cylinder mechanism for swinging said two sections toward and away from one another.

9. A spinner as recited in claim 4, including a piston and cylinder mechanism for swinging said two sections toward and away from one another, a cross link connected pivotally to the piston of said mechanism, and two links pivoted to opposite ends of said cross link and connecting the latter to said two sections respectively for actuation thereof.

10. A spinner as recited in claim 4, including four additional gears connected to said four rollers respectively for rotation therewith about the axes of the rollers and meshing with said two first mentioned gears for transmission of power therethrough, said body structure and said sections being hollow and containing said gears, said four rollers being located above the body structure and said sections, and there being a second set of four additional pipe driving rollers essentially identical with the four first mentioned rollers and turning therewith and located essentially beneath said body structure and said sections, whereby the pipe is engaged and driven by eight different rollers simultaneously.

11. A spinner as recited in claim 10, including a piston and cylinder mechanism for swinging said two sections toward and away from one another, a cross link connected pivotally to the piston of said mechanism, and two links pivoted to opposite ends of said cross link and connecting the latter to said two sections respectively for actuation thereof.

12. A spinner for turning a well pipe about a generally vertical axis, comprising an assembly to be moved be tween an active position about the pipe and a retracted position offset to a side of the pipe, said assembly including a series of pipe engaging and driving rollers which in said active position of the assembly are receivable at different locations spaced about said pipe, in engagement with an outer surface of the pipe, and which turn about different circularly spaced essentially parallel axes, a body structure, means mounting at least one of said rollers rotatably to said body structure, two roller mounting sections carried by said body structure for swinging movement relative thereto and toward and away from one another and about two spaced hinge axes, means mounting two additional ones of said series of rollers rotatably to said two sections for swinging movement therewith and between an open position in which there is formed between said additional rollers a throat of a width great enough to pass said pipe into and out of said assembly as the assembly moves between said two positions thereof, and a closed position in which said additional rollers are near enough to one another to close said throat against, and to block, such movement of the pipe into and out of the assembly and to grip the pipe for rotation between said series of rollers, and means: for driving said rollers to turn the pipe and including two gears for transmitting rotation to said additional rollers respectively and mounted to turn about said two hinge axes respectively.

13. A spinner as recited in claim .12, including powered means for swinging said two sections and the carried rollers relative to said body structure and toward and away from one another.

14. A spinner for turning a well pipe about a generally vertical axis, comprising a support structure to be mounted at a location olfset to a side of said axis, a cantilever arm movably connected to and supported by said support structure and projecting therefrom inwardly toward said axis, a pipe engaging and driving assembly carried by the inner end of said cantilever arm, means connecting said arm to said support structure for generally longitudinal shifting movement toward and away from said axis in a relation shifting said assembly between an active position of disposition about said axis and pipe, to drive the latter, and a retracted position in which said assembly is withdrawn laterally from about the axis and pipe, said assembly including a plurality of rollers for engaging .dilferent sides of said pipe to grip the pipe therebetween, there being means operable when said assembly is in said active position to actuate at least one of said rollers between a pipe gripping condition and a released condition for passing the pipe into and out of the assembly, means for driving at least one of said rollers to turn the pipe, and means mounting said assembly to said inner end of the cantilever arm for vertical movement relative thereto as the pipe turns.

15. A spinner as recited in claim 14, in which said means connecting said arm to said support structure include a mounting unit connected to said support structure for swinging movement relative thereto about a vertical axis offset from said first mentionad axis, and guide means connecting said cantilever arm to said mounting unit for longitudinal movement toward and away from said first mentioned axis.

16. A spinner as recited in claim 14, including spring means yieldingly resisting downward movement of said assembly relative to said cantilever arm.

17. A spinner as recited in claim 14, including powered means for moving said cantilever arm and carried assembly toward and away from said axis.

18. A spinner as recited in claim 14, in which said last mentioned means include an element carried by said inner end of said cantilever arm and containing a plurality of guideways, a frame structure connected to said assembly and having a plurality of vertical members movably received and guided in said guideways, and coil springs about some of said vertical members and yieldingly supporting said assembly.

19. A spinner comprising a plurality of hollow body parts to be received generally about a well pipe, a series of drive gears within said hollow body parts, an upper set of pipe engaging rollers carried above said hollow body parts and gears and driven by said gears and adapted to engage and drive the pipe, and a lower set of pipe engaging rollers carried beneath said body parts and gears and driven by the gears and adapted also to engage and drive the pipe, said body parts being relatively movable in opening and closing directions in a relation actuating the rollers between closed pipe-gripping positions and relatively retracted open positions in which the rollers can be withdrawn laterally from about the pipe.

20. A spinner as recited in claim 19, in which said two sets of rollers include four rollers each and are essentially identical.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,478,020 12/1923 Butler 8l57 2,000,221 5/1935 Dawson 8l57 2,332,685 10/1943 Auld et a1 8l57 2,536,458 1/1951 Munsinger 8l57 2,544,639 3/1951 Calhoun 8l57 3,144,085 8/1964 Hasha 173-164 3,288,000 11/1966 Foster 8l54 JAMES L. JONES, JR., Primary Examiner. 

